LUCKNOW: BJP on Sunday revoked the candidature of Sangeeta Senger, wife of expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger, for the forthcoming panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh. Kuldeep Senger was convicted of raping a minor in Unnao one and half years ago.
The development came three days after Sangeeta’s name was announced as BJP’s official candidate to contest the zila panchayat polls from Unnao. Although panchayat elections are not held on party symbols, BJP released the list of its official candidates for the first time.
Announcing the decision, UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh said the district unit had been asked to send a panel of three names to the state headquarters soon.
Unnao goes to polls in the third phase on April 26. The nomination process will be held from April 13-15. Sangeeta was given a ticket from Fatehpur Chaurasi ward-3 in Unnao. She had won the zila panchayat chairperson polls in 2016 as well.
While Singh did not specify the reason behind the decision, sources said the party was averse to inviting criticism from the opposition over fielding of a candidate whose husband had a tainted background as it could dent the party’s prospects in the rural local bodies’ elections.
Party sources said Sangeeta was made the candidate given the influence her family wields in Unnao. Her candidature was approved by a state-level committee headed by Singh and the party’s state general secretary Sunil Bansal.
Party sources indicated that even after his conviction in the rape case, Senger has found support among BJP ranks and file. Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj had visited Senger in jail to thank him after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Senger, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment, was disqualified as the member of the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly last year in February.
His brother Atul Senger is facing charges of beating the victim’s father who later died in police custody.